Body for auto funeral-cars.



I. W. BUTLER, E. R. BRIGGS da E H.. CLARK.

BOITY POR AUTO FUNERAL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED s519110. 1908.

Patelllted Juy 13, 1909.

Z SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. W. BUTLER, R. BRIGGS L E. H. CLARK. BODY FOR AUTO FUNERAL CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTA@ 190s.

928,179. Patented July 13, i909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 lfwsses UNITED STATEs PATENT oFFlQ-E. l.

JAMES w. BUTLER, FRED E. BRIGGs, AND EDWIN n. CLARK, oF CLEVELAND, omo, AssIeNoEs l To THE AUTo FUNERAL CAR COMPANY, oF CLEVELAND, omo.

BODY FOR AUTO FUNERAL--CARS.

1,10 all'wtolm 4it may concern:

, FREDzR. Barcos, and EDWIN H. CLARK, citi- Y art to Which it -the same.

nof an elegant and. attractive zensof the United States, and residentsoi1 Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certainnev'vand useful Improvements in Bodies for Auto F11- neraLCars, ol' which We hereby declare the following to be aiull, clear, and exact descri tion, such as will enable others skilled in t e appertains to make and Iuse The invention applies to the employment funera convey* ance in which no sug estion is found of its serious uses, and the objects of the invention are to provide means for adapting thebodyof av motorcar to undertakers" use as a funeral canwherein the casket can be conveyed to the tomb, and can be accompanied by the family andthe pallbearers and other immediate attendants `upon the funeral, andthe impression made upon outside observers will not be diil'orent l'rom that made by the body oi' an ordinary Limousine car, thus protectin g the mourners from the curious gaze oi the communit besides adding efficiency and practicabiiity and convenience to the now dreaded ordeal of passing through the streets with a hearse and a long line o carriages.

The invention comprises an inclosed car body arranged to protect the .casket an'd accompanying cortege from the Weather, and provided with compartments adapted to the several uses of the car. The invention further comprises instrumentalities adapted to increase the convenience in handling the casket and for seating the pallbearers, and hais further reference tov the arrangement of fixed and removable or folding seats`to accommodate all ersons ac* comlpanying the body to the tomb.

T e invention further comprises the combination and arrangement of the various parts and construction of details as hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, andspe'c'ifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, a side elevation of the completed car; Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof through the casket chamber` looking toward the rear; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, and Fig. 4 is "a detail `i .rs ,-1stiveimwst-a .hinge4 joint ,be-

Figure 1 is specification of Letters Patent. Appnaaon sied september 1o, was. semi Nq. 45am;

tween the Yfixed and 'and in this are provided `stai', ionary casket to lie casket compartment are tially horizontal position.

patented rely 13, isos.

trackhereinafter described.

In thesefviewsl is the carbody' containing front and rear com artmentsand a ch'auf feurs division D, )e'lrolnt compartment 2 is designed. for the onreyeee 0f the seeker 3,- and about the Gasket are greased the Seats '4 for the pallbearers.

5i is the rear or passenger compartment movableor folding seats, 6 and 7, 7 respectixlfly, upon-whilev are seated members oi' the fa y and their friends;

"movable portions of a andl re- The ,entrances to the passenger portion of the car are preferably atthe si e as at 1,1, 11 and side aisles 12,'12 can be formed to rthe rear seats by making the seats 7, 7 hinged and foldable upon thesides ofthe com artment. The seats rows oi' seats. j

Im ortant features aresown in the mainner o constructing the com ar'tment .adapted to contain the casket, an of arrangnigfor the`introduction and removal thereof and :l'or

the seatin of the immediate attendants such as the pal bearers.

To permit ofthe ready introduction of the longitudinally of the comparte ment in which 1t must be carried, and to vpermit of quickly and easily removing the same, both sides 14, 14 preerably,"oi` the at 15, 15 so as to belet down into a substan- Upon the inner surfaces of these hinged sides or doors, as they maybe called, are shown tracksy 16, 16 which are referably hinged at 15, 15 to the transverse y laid tracks 16', 16 upon the floor of the compartment and form continuations of the same when the doors are laid fiat. The track hinges 15 preferably form the hinges upon which the oors swing.` der S 18, 18 in the hinges serve to )revent the doors from falling too low and they remain when lowered in preferably the horizontal osition. These tracksf-may themselves orm the hinge straps if desired.

The casket is placed upon a small Wheeied platform 19 which is adapted to run upon the tracks', and can readily be moved in or out cfg-the car. The casket is secured by any suitable adjustable. means', such as the pins 8, 8 are also 'ioldabeifo provide a transverse aisle 13; in front oi' the Y preferably hinged Shoulthe platform, so that a casket of any size can a rear passenger division, of a front casket be secured upon the platform. The seats 4 g division, a chautleurs division, removable for the attendants in this compartment are arranged about the casket and may be removably secured to the l'loor, so that they can be temporarily' taken away to permit the casket te move over them, or they may be hinged to the doors 14 on their inner sides at 22 as shown in Fig. 2 so that they may be folded ilat between the tracks when the doors are lowered, to permit the casket to move over them, and can be swung into place when the doors are raised and closed. lhese seats fit nicely between the tracks. Bolts 2i, 21 can be employed to fasten the doors. In this manner side aisles 22, 22 are formed at the sides ofthe compartment, and for convenience doors 23, are formed at the front of the vehicle for entrance to this compartment.v

in very stormy weather it is sometimes desirable to convert the ear into a chapel car, so that the services ordinarily performed at the grave can be said in the car with much greater convenience. To permit of this being?r done the partition between the compartments is provided with a door 24 and windows 25 which may be opened, or if desired the entire movable.

llaving described the invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a body for an auto-funeral car, in combination, a passenger compartment, provided with transverse stationary and movable seats and transverse and side aisles, a casket'compartment, a partition between theI compartments, side entrances to the passen compartment and front entrances to the casket compartment, dropping side walls for the casket compartment, said side walls being adapted to form platforms for the introduction of the casket to said casket compartment.

partition may be made re- 2. .ln a funeral car, in combination a rear passenger compartment n'o'vided with side entrances, a front compartment adapted to contain a casket, a wheeled support for said casket, hinged sides for said compartment, tracks, portions of which are upon said hinged sides and portions upon the floor of said compartment and upon which said wheeled support is designed to travel, andremovable seats in said front compartment.

3. In a funeral car, the combination with seats in the casket division, stationary seats in the rear passenger division, a door between said casketand passenger divisions, and means for supporting a' casket in and removing it from the casket rlivision.

4. In a body for an auto-funeral car, the combination of, a rear passenger compartment having side entrances, a front casket compartment having front cntrances-, hinged doors hinged seats upon said doors, and track portions transversely laid in said casket compartment and transversely crossing said doors, said track portions pivoted together to form hinges and hinge straps for said doors.

in a body for an auto-fnneral car, in combination, a passenger compariment, a' casket compartment and a clnullleurs conn partment, a partition between the casket compartment and the passenger compartment, a door and windows in said partition, whereby means of communication between the casket and passenger compartments is afforded and sounds produced in one compartment are audible in the other, tracks transversely laid on the floor of the casket compartment, drop doors in the walls of the casket compartment, tracks laid upon said drop doors and adapted to form continuations of the tracks on said compartment lloor the adjacent ends of the tracks on said .lloor and doors being pivoted together to form hinges for said doors.

G. In a body for an auto funeral car, in combination, a passenger compartment, fixed and movable seats therein, arranged to provide longitudinal and transverse aisles, a casket division, drop doors for said casket division, a support for said casket, in said casket division, movable seats in said div'ision about said casket, a partition between said passenger compartment and -said casket division, windows in the upper )ortion thereof, a door in said partition an doers in the exterior Walls of said compartments for ingress and egress.

ln testimony whereof, We hereunto set our hands this 3d day et' September 1908.

JAMES `W. BUTLER.- FRED It. BRIGGS. EDWIN H, CLARK, ln presence of- C. H. OLDs, WM. M. MONROE. 

